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Monday, April 18, 2016

Farmers from Laikipia
County are experiencing improved access to subsidized government fertilizer
during the March-April-May “Long Rain” season through support from the Laikipia
County Government.

Laikipia County
Government has already helped farmers access close to 2,000 bags of subsidized
government fertilizer.

Fertilizer being offloaded from a truck in Sipili,Laikipia West

The County government has
been providing transport to farmer groups to enable them disburse the
fertilizer to their members at Kshs 1,800. Improving access to the subsidized
fertilizer has enabled most farmers to save Kshs 1,200 per bag as most private
traders sell the 50 kg bag of DAP at Kshs 3,000.

According to Mrs. Jane
Putunoi, County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock, and
Fisheries, the County government is keen in ensuring more farmers are able to
purchase the subsidized government fertilizer.

She said that to ensure
most farmers in the County access the input at shorter distance, the County
government lobbied the national government to allow some cooperatives from the
county to purchase fertilizer from the National Cereals and Produce Board
(NCPB).

She said that the
fertilizer situation in the County would improve as the national government has
now approved the appointment of some cooperatives in the county to become NCPB
agents. This will ensure that farmers do not incur transport cost and they are
able to save time spent seeking for fertilizer in either Nanyuki or Nyahururu.

Mr. Francis Kanja,
Chairman, Laikipia Maize Value Chain Development Network noted that the steps
taken by the County government has helped more farmers access fertilizer. He
noted that previously farmers who are lucky to get the subsidized government
fertilizer had to contend with high transport costs.

This has always
demoralized most farmers who end up growing impatient and thus decide to buy
fertilizer from other businesspersons who sell to them at exorbitant prices.

“Access to subsidized
government fertilizer has always been a challenge, as most farmers have to
travel long distances to NCPB to purchase fertilizer. They then have to wait
for long duration before receiving fertilizer and some cases they even miss,”
said Mr. Kanja.

The government reduced
prices of subsidized fertilizer to spur productivity and close the cycle of
food shortages. The high cost of the
input usually prevents most smallholder farmers from using fertilizer.

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